Hunter
by LittleWing
Summary: A man with a grudge against the Patterson's books passage on the Vast Explorer
1. Ghost from the Past

Disclaimer: I didn't create these characters or show, in short I don't own them. That said, please don't sue or I'll be forced (okay maybe not so forced) to hand all my debt over to ya.

Notes: This was my first ever AI fic so please be kind in your reviews. Also I just spent like an hour fixing whatever the comp did to it. For some reason it put in a bunch of symbols instead of "" and '. But I hope that I got it all fixed this time, 'cause I'm not doing it again! 

Rating: PG-13 for violence and some language.

****

Hunter

"We're taking on a passenger," Judson Cross said as he began to help the youngest member of his crew to load a new load of supplies onto the Vast Explorer.

"Who is it?" A female voice asked from aboard the ship.

Looking up from his work, Judson squinted against the midmorning sun and smiled to see Mackenzie Previn standing at the white rail of the ship in a black bikini top and a pair of denim cut off shorts. "Callum Addison." 

"Something wrong, Gabe?" Mac and Judson asked when Gabriel dropped the box he'd been holding at the sound of Addison's name.

"Huh?" He looked at them blankly for a couple of heart beats. "Sorry," he muttered turning his attention back to the creates of supplies.

"Gabe, are you okay?" Cross asked running a hand through his buzz cut blond hair.

"Fine." A smile eased across his face.

"Don't drop any more creates." He gave the kid a small tap in his shoulder.

*****

Finding Gabriel Patterson was almost too easy, he thought as he neared the slip the Vast Explorer was docked at. It was all almost too easy. Finding him, and planning the meeting was all easier than he's originally thought it would be. He began to smirk as he neared the dull red ship. Many times he'd imagined the things he would say and do to Gabriel. But now he was here and there was no time for imagining; just action. As he approached the ship, he could see a tall thin figure with a mass of dark locks swirling about his head. He knew before the face on the figure was in his clear path of vision who the figure was, Gabriel Patterson. He could still recall almost vividly the first time he'd met the boy, though Patterson had been quite a bit shorter at the time. If luck is still on my side, he'll remember me; he thought rearranging his smirk into a pleasant smile.

"Hello." He winced inside as he noticed Gabriel flinching at the sound of his voice. "I'm sorry for frightening you," the apology slithered from his tongue with much less effort than the moment before. That was much better, he thought to himself as he saw Gabriel's body relax slightly.

"You just surprised me," his tone was sharper than he intended it to be. "Can I help you with something?" He stared hard at the man standing before him. He couldn't quite place it, but there was something familiar about the man's narrow set pale green eyes. Horror struck deep in Gabe as the realization of who the man standing before him was began to creep through him. Callum Addison. His heart stopped; he stopped. 

"Are you all right?" Callum asked gingerly waving his hand in front of the young man now standing very rigid with fear. Inwardly Callum smiled at the effect he was having on the youth before him. The kid did remember him; he was impressed. "Hey, Kid," he waved his hand in front of Gabe's face again, snapping his fingers trying to pretend that he didn't know why Gabriel was acting the way he was.

"Hey, Gabe," a dark haired woman asked coming up next to the frozen young man. "What's going on?" her voice soft and full of concern for the young man. The hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood on end telling her that she and Gabe were not alone. She knew that someone was standing in front of them before she even saw who was there. "Can I help you?" she asked snapping her head in the direction of Gabe's stare; her voice was steady and steely, as though she were accusing the stranger standing before her and Gabe of doing something to her young friend.

For weeks he'd watched them, took pictures of them and noted every bit he could about their character, but all that preparation left him the moment Mackenzie Previn stood before him. Not one of her pictures he'd taken did her any justice. She was beautiful beyond his wildest imagination and the edge she held in her voice and blue eyes was more than he ever could've hoped for in an adversary. Oh, how he wished that being with her were a part of his plan; a plan he couldn't wait to put into action.

"Can I help you?" Her hard edged voice cut through his reverie, jarring him back to the beautiful Mackenzie and the terrified Gabriel standing before him.

"Yes, I'm Callum Addison." He offered his hand to Mackenzie, who just stared at it and him as though she were calculating on how to separate it from his arm.

"Mackenzie Previn." She took his hand in a crushing grasp. Her strength surprised him at first. "This is Gabriel Patterson." She pointed her thumb at the still silent young man.

"I am terribly sorry if I frightened Mr. Patterson," Callum apologized, hoping that he sounded as sincere as possible.

"It's almost impossible to scare him." Her blue eyes bore through him as though she were looking for something inside him. Something's not right here. Gabe hasn't said a word in more than three minutes and he seems transfixed on something. There's something about Callum Addison that I don't quite trust, she thought as she continued to stare holes into Addison. "He's just playing shy."

"Is Mr. Cross on board?" He changed the subject, sensing that she knew that something was wrong. After all young Mr. Patterson had gone stone silent since his approach and he knew that Gabriel and Mackenzie were probably close enough to know when something was wrong with the other.

"No. He had some business to take care of. He should be with us shortly." There was just something about him that didn't sit right with her where Callum Addison was concerned. "Until then I'll show you to your cabin." Moving past the slack jawed Gabriel, Mac led Addison onto the ship and to his room.

****

Smiling Judson Cross walked down the slip the Vast Explorer was docked at. He was in a very good mood; that was partially brought on by the beautiful sailing weather of the day and the fact that a quarter of a million dollars had been deposited into the company account. It was the prefect day.

His mood would've lasted all day long had it not been for the figure standing statue still in front of his ship. His chipper mood was suddenly drowned by the horrified look in his young friend's hazel/green eyes. "Gabe?" he questioned the brown haired young man, waving his hand slowly in front of Gabe's face. The pause was longer than any he'd ever had, even when the other person was lying to him. What happened to him? Cross wondered as he reached a hand out to touch Gabe's shoulder. "Gabe?" A gentle shake ought to bring him around. "What's the matter, Kid?"

"Nothing," Gabe choked out in a soft voice, shaking his head. 

"Maybe you should go lay down for a while. Mac and I can handle shoving off." 

Nodding Gabriel walked numbly toward his cabin, passing their main living quarters that housed their kitchen, dining room, living room. He agreed with Judson; he needed to get some rest. He'd just do his job and stay the hell away from Addison while he did. There was something in Addison's eyes that Gabe had never liked. It was as if the devil lived just behind the pale green surface of Callum's eyes. That man had given him the creeps when he was younger and he still did. The cool gray walls poured over Gabe and calmed him in a way that he never thought they would. This was his safe place from Addison.

All grown up and still so small and helpless. He wanted to say something and he wanted to remain still all at once. His pale green eyes watched eagerly as Gabe stood with back to the door, his thin frame wavering between falling onto the single bed it stood in front of and leaning into the wall. Smiling he stepped into the doorway of the room. "If it isn't Gabriel Patterson," he said leaning in the doorjamb. "I see that you're still afraid of me."

"The devil," he spat as he turned to face Addison, "has that affect on people."

"Ah, found your tongue, have you?" Callum stepped into the room closing the door behind him "You have no idea how much like your mother you look." He smiled as horror moved in waves across Gabe's face. "Tell me, Gabe, how well does Ms. Previn take grief?"

"Leave her alone." His jaw was nearly locked from the pressure he was putting through it. 

"I wouldn't worry about her," he said turning to face the door. "It's a long trip, Gabe, perhaps you should worry about other things."

"Why are you here?"

"Why to see the son of an old friend." He opened the door and left. 

A sigh of relief swept through Gabe as his legs lowered him to his bed. The numbness already living in his body took over more as his encounter with Addison sank in. He'd never liked or trusted Addison. There was just always something distant about the man, almost as if he thought, no believed, that he were superior to everyone. Addison was up to something and somehow Mac, Judson and himself played into Callum's plan, now if only Gabe knew what that plan was. Closing his eyes Gabe leaned his head against the cool metal of the gray wall and let the calm of the room take him over.

*****

"Mr. Cross, we meet at last." Callum Addison said as he made his way to the bridge.

"Mr. Addison." Judson's eyes were locked on the path that he was guiding the ship. Pleasantries would just have to wait until they were out to sea.

"I'll leave you until you're not so busy." Callum smiled as he withdrew from the wheel house and made his way along the deck. This will be fun, he thought spying Mac checking gear that had been left on the deck. "Ms. Previn." 

"Mr. Addison," her voice was as level as it had been earlier and nearly as cold.

"Does young Mr. Patterson ever get used to strangers aboard?"

"Normally there isn't a problem. Why do you ask?"

"I just passed the young man as he went into his cabin and he seemed to be afraid of me again." 

"If Gabe doesn't like someone, he usually has a reason. Is there any reason he may have to dislike you?"

"I've never met Mr. Patterson before." He knew that something was wrong, Mac could sense that there was bad blood between him and Gabriel. It'd been a while since he'd met someone who'd been able to sense a hidden agenda. Callum could tell that Mac thought he was lying to her. While his statement wasn't a lie, it just didn't apply to Gabe. "You don't like me very much, do you, Ms. Previn?" He moved closer to her, the soft black of his cotton pants brushing against the exposed skin just below her shorts.

"No, I don't," she said with a smile, carefully taking a step away from Addison. "What gave me away?"

"Body language." He gabbed her arm pulling her back to him. "It says a lot about people. I know how you feel about me, for example. But how do you feel about Mr. Cross and the boy." Shock slid across her face in waves of anger.

"If you . . ."

"What?" he questioned shooting her a look of mock horror at her attempted threat. His face suddenly dropping to a business look Addison said, "Don't worry, Ms. Previn, I won't harm one little hair on Mr. Cross' head."

****

What in the hell is going on down there? Judson thought when he heard hushed voices and saw Mac having some sort of conversation with Addison. If it weren't for Addison's death grip on Mac's arm, Judson would've let the hushed conversation alone. But there was a look of cold anger in her eyes and on her face, he needed to do something to save Callum from being thrown overboard. Quickly he went to the rail. "Mac."

"Be right there." Glancing at Addison's hand locked onto her upper arm and then back at Addison.

"His cabin is next to mine, isn't it?" He smiled at the look of pure burning hatred in her blue eyes.

"Touch either of them and I'll kill you." Addison's grip was gone from her arm instantaneously.

"Care to tell me what that was all about?" Cross asked his green eyes scanning the water for other vesicles.

"What do you know about him?" She changed the subject, opting to keep the threat he'd made about Gabe to herself for a little while.

"He doesn't give much information about himself." He studied her for a moment. She was more than just upset with Addison; she was down right pissed off at the man. There had to more than the fact that Addison had grabbed her arm, but Judson just couldn't put his finger on it. It made no sense to him that Callum Addison would threaten any member of his crew. Despite not having any answers to the multitude of questions that were beginning to form in his mind about what had transpired between Callum and Mac, he had to laugh at the fact that Mac didn't through Addison over the rail for grabbing her arm the way he did. After all Judson had seen her do more to men for less. "What aren't you sure of?"

"I can't really explain it, but he's up to something."

"What makes you say that?"

"Gabe clams up when Addison comes anywhere in sight," she said looking Judson in the eye like she did when she was serious about something. "He just stops whatever he's doing. I'm not sure but I think Gabe's afraid of Addison."

"She's right," Gabe said from the door. Mac and Judson, both nearly fell over when he spoke. They weren't expecting him to be around and he hadn't made any noise when he approached them at the helm.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people," Mac said coolly, regaining her composure quicker than Judson.

"Sorry," he murmured hanging his head.

"She's right how?" Judson asked curious about what Mac was right about.

"Addison. He scares me. He always has. I knew him when I was little, and I hated him then. When I was ten years old he kidnapped me. He wanted my mom to run away with him. He didn't care that she was content with my dad. When he didn't get his own way he tried to make me disappear, but mom made some kind of deal with him and he let me go. No one ever knew what he did. After that he disappeared." He couldn't look at them. There was no reason why he couldn't he just couldn't. He wanted to tell them more but he'd worked so hard at blocking it all out that he'd forgotten whatever Addison had done to him all those years ago. Suddenly he felt very naked and wounded, making it all the more difficult to look at his friends.

"Mac thinks that he's up to something. What do you think he wants?" Judson studied the weary looking young man standing before as if he were finally understanding some part of the reason why Gabe would want to run as far and as fast as he could from his family. 

"I don't know," his voice just above a whisper. With as low as Addison had already made him feel, not knowing what Callum was up to made him feel even lower. Maybe it would be easier to deal with Addison if he could just disappear and reappear at will; of course that'll happen. Gabriel scolded himself as he watched the wheels turning in the heads of his friends as they watched him trying to figure him out and their situation.

"Mac, I want you to help me keep an eye on our guest. Gabe I want you to stay away from him," Judson said just as the silence had built to an unbearable pitch for Gabe.

Stay away from the man whose cabin is next to mine? Gabe tried not laughing at what Judson had just told him. Is staying away from Addison anything like keeping your feet up off the edge of the bed at night so that the thing under the bed didn't get you?! Staying away from Addison on the ship would be a difficult task.

"Don't worry, Gabe. I'll lay down the ground rules for him."


	2. Threats

A smile fit for the devil splashed across Callum's face as he came to rest against the rail as close to the helm as he could get. While he didn't particularly care what it was they were discussing, he did need to know what the topic was. He didn't give Cross and his team enough credit. Mackenzie had proven better at deduction than he'd anticipated and Judson himself was more than a merely focused man; he also trusted his life to his crew. Despite his original shell shock behavior Gabriel was now showing signs of anger and disdain. There had to be a way to make the kid fear him again. Obviously being in the same area wasn't enough anymore. The fact that their cabins were next to each other should've been enough to keep the kid afraid of him for a long while.

But Gabriel wasn't that same ten year old he was the last time they'd met. He was now young man who had grown tougher in his time at sea than he ever could've playing prep basketball in some spoiled private school. He needed to find a way to turn Gabe back into that frightened ten year old boy he knew and gave up all those years ago.

****

"Damn it!" Gabe threw his wrench across the engine room floor. The up grades Judson=d asked him to do weren't going well. They would've gone better if they were docked somewhere, not out to sea. Leaning against a wall, he took several deep breaths counting to ten before letting them go. Relaxing some he ran his grease covered hands through his dark hair making it look almost black.

"I still get to you, do I?"

Addison's voice jerked Gabriel from his task at hand so fast that he practically needed a decompression tank. Narrowing his brown eyes at his foe, Gabe snorted a laugh, "don't flatter yourself." He managed to find himself. 

"What scares you, now, Gabe, if I don't?" Callum moved closer to the wall that Gabe still leaned against.

"I got over the monster under the bed a long time ago," his voice was so low and venomous that he scarcely even recognized it as his. Not the smartest choice of words, Gabe. He chided himself after he saw the amount of anger that Addison was barely able to contain. Gabe wanted to laugh at the image his brain had concocted of the red faced Addison. In his mind it a was a bulled faced man charging him at full steam, clouds of steam pouring from his ears behind the horns that turned back with anger. Instead of the image his brain made up, a red raged Addison moved on him faster than the bull in his head. 

In the instant that it took the words he'd said to leave his mouth and the image to form and play in his head, Addison had him pinned to the wall that he'd been leaning against. The inward smile Gabe had was gone, wiped out by the force of air leaving his lungs. His brown eyes widened in horror of what was happening and his current lack of oxygen. A single tear threaded its way down the soft silky skin of Gabriel's cheek.

That's more like it. Thought Addison as he merely held the smug young man against the wall. He could've let go and allowed Gabe to fall to the ground and gasp at air like a fish on a boat deck gasping for water, but he wanted to hold the kid close to him. He wanted Gabriel to know that he was the one in control, not Judson Cross, not Mackenzie Previn and certainly not Gabriel Patterson. That needed to be established before he could continue with his plan.

"The creature that lives under your bed, I am not," the words slithered off his tongue and into Gabe's ear. His smile broadened when Gabriel went completely rigid im his grasp. The breath that he was fighting so desperately to catch froze in lungs the moment that the icy breath carried the words to his ear. 

Callum twisted his long thin fingers deeper into Gabe's shirt, taking joy in every small sound the kid made. His smile spread like jam on toast as the thought occurred to him that he could do whatever he wanted to Gabe at that moment and no one could stop him; or perhaps it was the chance that Cross or Previn could come along at any moment that gave him that little tingle of excitement down his spin. Either way, Gabriel Patterson would learn who had the power and where he stood in the grand scheme of things.

Seeing the fire of pleasure burning in Addison's eyes, Gabe slammed his own shut. He felt small and weak with Addison holding him into the wall like a rag doll. His mind was a jumble of thoughts about his current predicament and the time when he was ten and Addison had kidnapped him. Why now after I finally put all of the bad memories behind me? He thought as his hands suddenly shot up and gripped Callum's. He had to fight back. He wasn't a child anymore, no matter how many times he'd been referred as a kid. 

"Don't be foolish and go around locking doors behind you." His smile turned even more twisted and evil, if that were even really possible. His grip loosened on the front of Gabe shirt, allowing the young man to breathe a little easier for a split moment. 

The moment the hand twisting his shirt tightly about his chest and neck released its grip, a second stronger grip wove its way through the dark curls of his hair at the nape of his neck. The face belonging to the hands began to laugh and was coming closer to him. No, he was being pulled closer to it. Fear hit him hard when he realized what was going to happen. He had to do something, there was no way in hell he was going to let this monster do anything to him. Not like he did the first time. Then he was small and couldn't fight back all that well but no he was just a few inches shy of Addison's height, he could do something. Being around Mac for all these months, he'd picked up a few moves from her arsenal of assault tactics.

Addison's face loomed before him almost like a balloon. He could feel the hair twisted around Callum's fingers pull from his scalp; he winced at the pain. He had to wait until he was a little closer before making his move. Almost there, just a second longer. Now, he yelled at himself as he let his fist fly. 

Blood flowed freely from the gash in Addison's nose where Gabe's punch had landed. He hissed in pain as he let go of Gabe. Growling Callum lunged at Gabe faster than before. His fingers like hungry claws reaching for whatever they can get hold of. He wasn't seeing anymore, his nose stung and his eyes hurt from the punch Gabe had given him. Finally his finger claws had hold of something. Something soft and tender. Forcing his eyes to focus he saw that he'd found Gabe's throat. A wicked smile planted firmly upon his features once again, Addison locked his hand harder on Gabe's young tender throat. 

Greedily his thin fingers bit deep into the tender flesh of Gabe's throat, while his eyes feasted hungrily at the sight of the helpless young man seated on his knees at his feet. The panic Gabe wore in his brown eyes like sparkling diamonds only fed the devil inside, fueling his desire to master the simple child before him. Callum's smile faded a bit when he saw that Gabe's eyes were beginning to cloud over. The kid'd lose consciousness at any moment, he needed to stop before he killed him. He didn't want that, not really. Carefully he pulled Gabe up to him. Loosening his grasp a bit he guided the young man closer to him. 

Gabe wanted to fight back, but he couldn't. He felt slack. He was helpless to fight against anything Addison wanted to do to him. He watched through glazed eyes as he was pulled closer to Addison, until they were nose to nose. The smile permanently etched across the older man's face grew fuzzy as he felt himself slipping away. It was that second that the grip on his throat was gone, replaced by something worse than the vice grip on his neck. He couldn't see anymore, mostly because he didn't want to. He almost knew what was going to happen. A jolt shot through his body the moment he felt the dryness of Addison's lips touch the soft tender flesh of his forehead. He wanted to throw up, run, do something, anything, to stop the madman whose ruff lips were pressed firmly against the center of his forehead, but his lungs were still fighting for air. Finally the harsh flesh of Addison's lips were gone his forehead, and his eyes began to slide back into his skull. "That's my boy," his voice hard and rasped as he spoke.

With glassy eyes Gabe watched as Addison left without even sparing a backward glance at his handy work, muttering something to himself about tranquilizers. Anger began to rise in Gabe's numb body at the word tranquilizers. He knew that Callum would use them on him so that he couldn't fight back, not that he'd ever really quit. Despite the sudden surge of anger coursing through the cells of his body, Gabriel still couldn't make his limbs want to move.

It felt odd to him that he was in no pain, he just couldn't make himself move. Maybe it was his unwillingness to surrender to the ever-changing shades of gray and black that danced before him that was making it hard for his body to respond. Maybe I should just lay still for a few minutes, he thought as he continued to make his arms work at least. He had to get to Judson and Mac before Addison did anything to them. He had to move there was nothing else to it. He had to make his muscles work.

Finally, he thought as his arms at last responded and began to push him up from the floor. Slowly he was able to make his legs work and with the help of the wall Gabe made his way from the engine room to the stairs. He had to get to his crew mates. 

****

Callum Addison was up to something more than actualizing a vendetta against the Patterson's. If he was just fulfilling some sick notion that revenge was best served cold, Mac would have to hand it to him on his planning. No, there was something more at work. He was too meticulous to merely be out for revenge. He'd planned everything. Hiring them of all the boats to take him to Italy. Why choose them for a simple one way trip that didn't involve some sort of adventure? Sure it was just dumb luck that he happened upon the Vast Explorer and Judson Cross and the son of a very wealthy family as part of the crew. Mackenzie smirked to herself as she stared off into the vastness of the ocean waters surrounding them. 

"Attempting to figure out my plans, are we, Ms. Previn?" 

Collecting herself from the slight surprise Addison=s presence gave her. "As a matter of fact," she turned to face the menace of a human being. "I am. Why don't ya save me some time and tell me what it is?"

"I could tip my hand and let you in, but that would put me at a bit of a disadvantage. And I can't have that." He leaned his hand against the rail, not taking his eyes off Mac once. "What is it that you really want to know, Mackenzie?"

"How do you know Gabe?" She folded her arms across her chest, challenging him to give her an answer she'd buy into.

"I knew his mother many years ago." 

"Why'd you kidnap him?"

"Is that what he told you?" his voice a mock of disbelief at what he was hearing.

"Oh cut the crap, Addison. We both know that there's a reason why Gabe turns into a statue around you. Gabe I trust. You I don't. So just tell me what you did to him?"

"I can assure you, Ms. Previn, that I haven't done anything to hurt young Gabriel."

"You're one sick son of a bitch, you know that, right?" He was just a disgusting beast, she thought to herself as she walked away from him, not waiting to hear the lie he'd tell to cover up what was left of the mask she was ripping off. If she couldn't get the story and the truth from Addison, if he even knew what the word truth meant, she'd just have to get it from Gabe. 

****

"Mac." Judson's loud hush stopped her dead on her way to check on Gabe in the engine room.

"Yeah" She was annoyed by something, he could tell from her sharp tone.

"Where's Gabe? I haven't seen him in a while."

"Last I knew he was in the . . ." a noise at the bottom of the stairs ensnared her attention, causing her to motion for Cross to be quiet. Almost cat like she moved closer to the stairs and then to the top of the landing. "Judson," her voice was steely and full of anger. At the bottom of the stairs was a semiconscious Gabriel. Startled by Mac's angry tone Gabe jerked his head in her direction, revealing a small gash above his left eye. That was the last straw! She thought as she backed away from the stairs and headed full of fury and angry steam at Addison. "Take care of him. I'll see to our guest."

__

He's going to regret this! The thought thundered through her core as she marched toward Callum and the rail he leaned against a smug smile painted across his thin lips. His thin painted on smile brought a malevolent smile to Mac's soft pink lips. He was about to be thrown overboard and he's smiling like a shark about to devour a surfer. His smile only became deeper with every angry step she took.

Without a sound she drove her fist solidly into Addison's face, connecting with a sharp pop to his eye. Her smile stopped when her full steamed effort only yielded a soft grunt. Her disappointment grew when Callum only made a half-hearted attempt to defend himself; throwing a weak left hook. His half heartedness in fighting her made her anger grow more than being bit by a snake. _Come on! _she thought bitterly as she kicked him in the knees sending him to the deck with a loud grunt. _Fight back, damn you! _She grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him to his feet.

Pivoting heavily Mac pulled and twisted Callum, pinning his spinal column to the rail. She could feel the hard resistance of Addison's vertebra as they refused to wrap around the white painted metal of the rail. Just a little more force and she wouldn't have to throw the detestable man over. The thought of breaking his back before tossing him helpless into the ever ending blue of the sea made Mac grow cold. Killing the poor excuse of a human being that was now dangling over the rail of the ship would actually give her great pleasure.

Killing Addison would turn her into him. The thought of becoming the type of person who'd prey on the weaknesses of others made Mac's stomach lurch. This creature had hurt Gabe; she could feel his back displace as she leaned him further over the rail. But the kid was all right. Damn it, she hated that killing Callum would do no good for anyone. 

"Do it," a hard rasped voice broke through her blind fury.

"You want to die?" Her jaw was nearly locked shut.

"Not really, but you do want to kill me." He looked at her, a smile still panted firmly on his lips. She was much more beautiful when she was angry. "I hurt the kid and now like any older sibling you want to hurt me. Last time only his mother was this upset."

"Touch Gabe again and I won't even think about the consequences of killing you." Jerking her arm back she let go of Addison. 


	3. Rules of the Lions Den

"Mac!" Too late she was already out of earshot. "Don't do anything stupid," he muttered as he turned back to Gabe. He was amazed by the young man all the time. Gabe had managed to climb the stairs and was virtually to the top of them when Judson noticed that Gabe seemed to be losing his balance. On instinct Judson shot out a hand and grabbed a fist full of Gabriel's tee shirt, pulling the kid toward him. Securing Gabe's arm around his shoulder, Cross pulled Gabe up the last couple of steps. 

"Mac?"

"She went after Addison."

"Have to stop her." He tried to pull away from Judson to go after Mac. Bad idea, he thought as Judson's hands grabbed hold and refused to let go. He couldn't let her kill Addison, no matter what he'd done. Though it would be a form a karma for him to be killed by a vengeance hungry older sister type. Gabe knew that the man was a worthless piece of flesh but he couldn't allow Mac to lower herself to the same level. Yes Addison had hurt him, but it was nothing; just a concussion and a few bumps nothing to get excited about. 

His legs still felt as though they were made of solid steel as he allowed Judson to help him along the deck to where Mac was standing over a kneeling Addison. She didn't do it. Addison was still alive, even if he didn't deserve it. Shrugging himself free of Judson Gabe made his way to Addison.

"You didn't do it." Judson made his way to Mac.

"What no faith in me?" Her hands were on her hips.

"Trust." He wanted to sweep her up in a kiss right there. She really was beautiful. There was so much that he wanted to tell her at that moment, but none of it would come out. It'd been weeks since they'd shared that kiss; granted they had thought they were going to die. He had wanted to take her aside and talk with her about that kiss, but so much else had happened since then and the opportunity never came. Maybe today was the day that they should talk, but there was no way the two of them could talk and look after Gabe and Addison.

*****

"I'll take you to Italy, but you have to spend the rest of the trip in your cabin. You are to have no contact with anyone but Mac or myself. Am I clear?" Judson's anger poured off him like water from a fall. Callum could feel that the cord he was striking at was deep. He couldn't help but smile at the angry man before him. It was fun watching them run to Gabe's side in an attempt to protect the young man. Toying with them about his intentions for their young friend was unfair, but only served to make his smile that much brighter. He had no intention of killing Gabe, but it was a nice distraction from his real target; Senator Patterson.

"Yes." He stood in the door to the gray walls of the cabin; a smug smile still etched across his lips.

"If you leave this room without telling us, I'll let Mac throw ya over." He smiled brightly as he closed the door.

*****

"I'm fine, Mac," Gabe said, irritated at her mothering.

"You were nearly strangled, Gabe." She folded her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, and I'm fine now." He moved angrily toward the door. 

"Where're you going?" She unfolded her arms from across the soft cotton of her shirt, and moved toward him. "You're not going back to work." 

"Why not?" He turned sharply to face her. "There's nothing to else to do, Mac. I'm not gonna sit around and think about all the what if's; I can't."

"I don't expect you to, Gabe. I just think that you need some rest before you go back to work. Take an hour and sun bathe."

"That's more your thing than mine." A smile cracked across his face.

"Have lunch then." She returned his slow smile.

"Addison's locked up tight in his room until we get to port." Judson leaned against the door frame to the infirmary.

"Good," Mac said sharply.

Gabe could feel both sets of eyes from his friends on him as though they expected him to have a say about Addison being locked safely away in his cabin. But there was nothing he could say that would make them relax or worry less about the situation they were in. There was no way to tell them that Addison only agreed to stay locked up to pacify Judson and Mac. If he thought that it would help Gabe would've started to panic or tell them that Callum would get out and would come after him, but he just couldn't find the words or the strength. He knew he was Addison's true target, not them. And keeping them safe meant that he had to give himself over to the devil. How could he tell them that after they'd fought to keep safe so many times in the past? 

Nodding his head and ignoring anything they might have said after he entered into his reverie, Gabe brushed past Judson on his way from the room. He needed time to think; to come up with some kind of plan to get rid of Addison and come out of it alive. 

****

One night and one day of Addison locked safely behind the door of his cabin was not enough to calm Gabe's mind of forming a plan to rid them of Addison. He needed to get that man off the boat before they reached Italy. Gabe just knew that Italy was where Callum would make whatever move it was he was going to make, and he had to stop it before it got that far. Maybe he was just being selfish, but he could never live with himself if Addison went after Mac or Judson. Gabe knew that they were trying to protect him, but this time they needed his protection; whether they knew it or not. 

It was that need to protect his protectors that gave Gabe the courage to be in the corridor leading to Addison's cabin cell. The cold white of the walls did little to still the beat of his heart or calm the nerves streaming through his tired body. He'd walked the route a thousand times in going to his cabin, yet this time it felt different; it felt as though it would be the last time that he'd being traveling this path. It was crazy to take Addison on in a fight, but he knew there was no other choice; no other way. Time was limited. In another twenty-four hours they'd be in port in Italy and Addison will take him when he leaves. Gabe knew that truer than anything the Bible had ever told him about religion.

Swallowing what courage he had left, Gabriel reached for the lock on the door. Shakily his thin fingers turned the lock and then the knob. Not quite knowing what to expect Gabe pushed the door open, careful to wait and see what was on the other side of the door before entering the tiny room. Seated on the edge of the bed was Callum Addison.

"I was wondering how long before you'd come." He looked up from the book he had been pretending to read; show in case the person on the other side of the door had been one of the others. He could almost smell the fear resonating from Gabe as the young man lingered outside the door swallowing his pride and gathering his courage. He had to give the kid credit for being man enough to willing face the one person who terrified him so as child. It wasn't easy to face the bogeyman.

"It's not a social call." He balled his hands into fists.

"I thought as much. Come to see the jailed lion then?" He stood and faced his young prey.

"Not exactly."

"I know that we're still at sea. Was your plan to kill me tonight?" He could see it in Gabe's hazel eyes, the fear that the devil might strike him down at any moment. "Or have you something else up your sleeve? Perhaps you just wanted to make sure that I was still where Mr. Cross put me, it that why you're here?"

"No," he hated that the word made him feel like a small child disagreeing with a parent and he especially hated that way he said made it sound as though he were that ten year old kid in the clutches of the evil manor lord again. "I came because I want to know why you're really here, Callum?"

"I do believe that you=re ready for the truth. Come in and close the door." The smile plastered across the face of Addison was one of a lion inviting a zebra in his den for dinner. He could see the hesitation being etched across Gabe's handsome face and feel the fear that was brimming within the willing young captive. "You don't want anyone else know what I'm going to tell you, do you?" 

Bowing his head slightly, Gabe wrestled with the deal the devil had just made him. Going in the room meant that he'd being putting himself directly in the path of the train for a tidbit of information that was meaningless and out of date. Knowing the past was the first step to figuring out what he was doing here and now. He would tell Mac and Judson what he was about to later; when they wouldn't try to talk him out of it. The last thing he needed right then was a lecture about how putting yourself in harms way is no way to accomplish anything. He admired Judson for almost always being the voice of reason in his act now think later mind, but now was not the time for it.

Without a word Gabe stepped into the room. Wrapping his fingers around the smooth metal of the knob and began to pull the door closed. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes Gabe let out a small sigh as he heard the soft click of the door latching.

"So, tell me what you don't want anyone else to know," Gabe said, leaning against the door and staring the devil man in the eye.

"Just over twenty years ago your mother and I had an affair." Callum could feel the shock and anger that was raging through Gabriel. He could see that the truth was not what the young man standing before him wanted to hear, nor the possibilities of what the truth might really be. "We'd been having an affair on and off for about four years. She broke it off just before they announced that she was expecting. Your father never knew."

"I don't believe you," Gabe nearly shouted at the man. How could Callum do this to him? Wasn't it enough that Callum had him where he wanted him, now Callum had to make him doubt his life? Doubt everything that he was raised to believe? This man was more than insane, if he thought that Gabe was going to buy the lines that he was trying to sell him. "First you beat the crap out of me and now you're trying to rock my world with earth shattering news. Why?"

"You were ten when your father found out that your mother and I had an affair. I wasn't certain that you were your father's son. I was certain that you were mine. Your mother swore up and down that you were your father's. He took her side. He always did. I was upset that your father locked me out of the society I had grown up in and basically had me thrown out of the country I was raised in. And still believing that you were mine I took you. I encourage your mother to join me on my trip to Italy. She refused and asked that I return you before I left.

"I refused. Your father threatened to have arrested for kidnapping and child endangerment if I didn't give you back. I had no reason to fear the charges, I was leaving with you for my mother's homeland. But then your mother made a deal with me."

None of what this mad man was saying could be true. There was just no way that one word of it could be. How could his parents keep this from him as though it never happened? His father always did push him to forget the kidnapping and anything that happened the month that he was with Addison. He was an adult for crying out loud, why couldn't they just tell him what had happened and why? Maybe if they had told him then he wouldn't be here with the mad man who'd started the entire ordeal hearing a sorted truth. How was he ever supposed to forgive them for this? How was he supposed to trust them ever again when they neglected to tell him what it was that they always discussed in hushed tones around him?

"Why should believe you?"

"They'll never confirm nor deny what I'm telling you. Don't you want to know what the deal was?"

That was it, Gabe couldn't stand to be around the man any longer; he moved toward the door. There was never any deal. He was just a scared old man who had been more afraid of another scared old man those twelve years ago. The truth wasn't worth letting a twisted old man turn against his family any more than he already had. They had their reasons for not saying anything to him, but he could've asked them for an explanation at any time in the last four years. Quickly turning the knob on the door Gabe opened the door, turning his back to Addison. "There was never any deal," he muttered as he prepared to walk through the threshold.

"You are a smart one," Addison said, moving behind Gabriel. Before Gabe knew what was happening, Addison had an arm wrapped around his tender neck. Callum snickered at the gasp that escaped Gabe's lips. Stupid boy, he thought as he dragged Gabe back into his cabin. "You're right there was no deal all those years ago. But I have one for you now."

"What?" Gabe gasped.

"You come with me now. We can take the smaller boat and get to shore, but you have to make your friends leave us."

"They'll look for me."

"Not if you tell them to stay away."

"I can't do that."

"If you don't I'll kill them starting with your captain and ending with Mac."

"Have fun. She'll kill you first."

"But can she kill me before I kill you, Son?"

"I am not your son."

"Have it your way," Callum said pulling a small throwing dagger from a small hidden pouch on his belt. "First one through that door dies."


	4. Getting away

"Hey, Judson, have you seen Gabe in the last hour?" Mac asked entering the wheel house.

"No."

"I can't find him anywhere."

"Why don't we check on our guest," he said with his famous crooked smile, "just to make sure he's still in his room like a good little boy?" 

"You don't think that he got out, do you?" she asked, almost out pacing Judson as they hurried down the corridor to Addison's holding cabin.

"Either that or Gabe went in." He stopped short of the door. His eyes quickly scanning the door he noted that it had been unlocked. Nodding silently, Mac pulled her gun, easing the safety off and chambering a round. Motioning for Judson to stay behind her she eased the door open. 

Standing in the threshold she lowered her weapon. The room was empty. There was nowhere to hide in the small room, and there was no sign that there had been a struggle. Anger once again coursed through Mackenzie=s veins as she realized that Gabe had let the lion out of its cage.

****

The knife that was firmly pressed into his rib cage was the only thing keeping Gabriel from turning on Addison as the pair moved across the moonlit deck of the Vast Explorer. He was only half surprised when Callum released him from the choke hold he'd used to drag him down the corridor to the deck. The fresh night air offered him little relief or comfort as he allowed Addison to lead him to the small inflatable boat that they used for dives.

"They know that we're missing," Gabe said, turning his head slightly to see the look on Callum's face.

"They get too close, and they die." He pushed Gabe closer to the stair case leading to the boat.

Enough, Gabe thought as he heard the words that Addison was saying. The monster had threatened him enough. He hated that the man was so brazen to think that Mac and Judson couldn't stop him. A day earlier and he would've been glad to have Mac or Judson deal with the task of getting rid of Callum Addison, but now it was something he wanted, no needed, to do. 

"You'll love Italy this time of year, Gabe," he said, moving the dagger from Gabe's side.

"No," he turned to face the man just as they got to the top of the stairs, "I won't enjoy Italy." He took several angry steps toward Callum. "I won't enjoy anything you have to offer me! You think that because you slept with my mother it earns you the mantel of father of the year?!" He couldn't stop. The anger was too much, surpassing his fear of the monster in a human costume standing before him. "You're just bad memory, Callum." Gabe lashed out with his right arm catching Addison's left, knocking the dagger from the older man's iron grasp. Despite himself, Gabe smiled with pride. Mac had only taught him that move once weeks ago, and he was able to use it to disarm the man he'd been afraid to face.

Lost in his momentary reverie, Gabe never saw that Addison wasn't smiling or that Addison's shock had worn off and there was now a tightly clenched fist aimed directly at his chest. With a satisfying grunt of shock and the low groan of the air being forced from Gabe's lungs, Callum laughed. Not allowing Gabe the chance to recover his breath Callum brought the back of his left hand hard across Gabe's face; jerking his head back and splitting his lip. Droplets of blood dripped down his chin as his breath began to find him again.

*****

"Where do you suppose he took Gabe?" Mac asked putting her weapon back into its hiding place. "Hello, earth to . . . " she turned to find the hall behind her empty. "Damn it!" She took off down the corridor in time to see Judson heading for the deck. 

Would it kill him to say something to me? She walked quickly toward to the staircase.

****

"Hey!" Gabriel was vaguely aware that someone had shouted in the still silence of the night. The only thing he had been aware that Addison had found the dagger and that he was being held over the rail leading to the lower deck. "Didn't I tell you to stay in your room?" Judson moved closer to the pair.

"Judson," Gabe gasped against the choking hold Callum had against his throat.

"You know, Callum," he inched closer to the older man, "I'd be rather upset if you dropped my friend over that rail."

"Where's Ms Previn?" He asked taking his eyes from his captive and locking them on Judson's.

"Mac?" His eyes surveyed the ship=s deck. "I'm sure that she's here somewhere."

"She armed?" He pulled Gabe away from the rail and into his chest, resting the dagger point against the render skin of Gabriel's now bruised throat.

"What do you think?" He hoped that Mac had found a good spot to get a shot from. There was desperation in Addison's eyes that hadn't been there the day before. What did want with his young friend? Revenge was the obvious answer, but against whom? If it had been against the crew then why try to kidnap Gabe in the middle of the night while they were still at sea? Whatever Addison had planned had to be connected to what happened when Gabe was a kid.

He didn't answer. Suddenly feeling as though his plan were falling through Callum began to move back toward the rail over looking the vast darkened waters below. If his plan were to fail then he'd just simply take Gabe to hell with him.

"Why him?" Judson followed the crazed man and his dazed hostage. "He was just a kid last time he saw you. What could he have possibly done to you?"

"I never had anything against Gabriel." He stopped a few inches from the rail. "He should've been mine. She was pregnant when she left me to go back to that hack of a lawyer husband of hers." He pulled Gabe in closer to his chest, digging the dagger tip into Gabe's throat, causing the youth the cry out in pain as blood began to bead on the tip of the dagger. He laughed at the look of horror on Judson's face.

"How's hurting him now going to fix the past?"

"He was born three months after she would've been due. She killed my baby so that she could give that son of bitch husband his own kid. He'd always hated me and by forcing his wife to have an abortion so that they could have their own baby proved it. She led me to believe from the time that Gabe was born until he was ten that he was mine. But daddy wouldn't let me near him. And the fact that he was lawyer played well for him too. I took Gabe back then because I'm his father and it was my right!"

"All right," he said mulling over the rambling=s that had just streamed from Callum's mouth, "why don't ya just talk with Gabe? He's a grown up now. He can handle what you have to say, trust me."

"We tried, and Ms. Previn almost tossed be over board."

"Did ya ever think that beating on Gabe wasn't the right way to talk with him?" He wanted to move closer to Addison and Gabe, but fear that Addison would harm his young friend.

****

Stepping onto the deck just behind the wheel house Mac spied what was going on below. Pulling her weapon from the comfort of its hiding place, Mac watched for her chance to end what Addison had started. They were close enough that she could've fired and hit Addison right between the eyes, but the manner in which he had his arms wrapped around Gabe meant that killing Addison would either seriously wound Gabe or kill him. Details, she thought as she moved to another location with a hopefully better shot. She just hoped that Gabe would forgive her.

*****

"Just before he graduated from high school I tried to see him, but his father wouldn't let me. A month later he sent me the copy of a blood test he'd had done. Much as I wanted to be Gabe's dad, I wasn't. At first I thought that I could make him mine. But he proved to me tonight that I can't." He let his grip on Gabe slip slightly.

"So then why don't you let him go. I'll still drop ya off in Italy." 

The shot seared through the momentary silence of the cool night like a hunters bullet through a November morning on opening day. Judson watched for five horrified seconds as Callum faltered in his step toward the rail. The smile etched on the dying man's face was more terrifying for Judson that the fact that the man was attempting to take Gabe over the rail with him. Lunging forward with as much force as he could muster, Judson grabbed a fist full of Gabe's shirt.

********

"Just before he graduated from high school I tried to see him, but his father wouldn't let me. A month later he sent me the copy of a blood test he'd had done. Much as I wanted to be Gabe's dad, I wasn't. At first I thought that I could make him mine. But he proved to me tonight that I can't." He let his grip on Gabe slip slightly.

That was it, the moment she'd been waiting for. She had to be perfect, there was no room for error. With a softer grip on Gabe, Judson stood a chance of grabbing Gabe before Addison could drag him over the edge. Steadying her aim, Mac eased her finger onto the trigger and gently pulled back on it releasing the bullet from its home in the chamber. With unobstructed ease it soared through the air and straight into the soft flesh of Addison's back. 

Oh, God. She prayed as she saw her target stager toward the rail, pulling Gabe with him. No, her mind screamed when she saw Addison fall dying over the rail still holding Gabe in his clutches.

"Judson!" She ran from her hiding place, tucking her weapon back to where she kept it. Quickly she shot out a hand wrapping her fingers tightly around Gabe's arm just as the piece of shirt in Judson's hand ripped free of its source. Carefully she helped Judson to pull Gabe up and away from the rail. 

"About time." He knelt at Gabe's side.

"He's bleeding, Judson." She pulled her hand away from his neck to show Judson that their friend was hurt.

"Lets get him inside." He grabbed hold of Gabe's shoulders.

*********

"How bad is it?" she asked grabbing gauze from the first aid kit she'd grabbed on their way in.

"He needs a hospital." He took the gauze from Mac and applied it to the wound just below Gabe's throat.

"I'll call for help."


	5. Epilogue

"Judson?" Gabe's voice was slightly strained. "What . . ."

"Don't talk. You're okay." Judson leaned over so that Gabe could see him.

"How long?" He could feel the stitches itching along the deep wound on his chest. The iv drip made a constant beeping sound that he was sure would drive him nuts if he had to hear for more than a few hours.

"You've been here since about two a.m.," Mac said entering the room wearing a large smile and carrying a small white bag. "This is to say sorry about last night." She thrust the bag into his lap.

"Addison?" He opened the bag like a child opening a long awaited present.

"Haven't found him yet."

"Where I shot him, he should be good and dead." 

"Thank you." He stuffed half of the glazed pastry Mac had brought him into his mouth as he spoke.

"That's my cue to head back the ship," she said leaving.

"The doctor said that after tomorrow you're free to go." He studied the look on Gabe's face. "Are there any more of those in there?" He peaked into the bag, pulling out a small donut looking pastry from the bag.

~** **The End****~


End file.
